What to do if employee is looking for new job during work

Pancakesss

Oscar, i have only just been promoted myself so just looking for some guidance on here. Better to ask for advise from people with experience than go blindly, right?

OscarFoxtrot

Pancakesss wrote: »

Oscar, i have only just been promoted myself so just looking for some guidance on here. Better to ask for advise from people with experience than go blindly, right?

But shouldn't your employer be training you?


Surely you aren't going to rely on anonymous forums when dealing with employment matters, which frankly could potentially cost you your job, and your employers tens of thousands of pounds?

TELLIT01

OscarFoxtrot wrote: »

But shouldn't your employer be training you?


Surely you aren't going to rely on anonymous forums when dealing with employment matters, which frankly could potentially cost you your job, and your employers tens of thousands of pounds?

Shouldn't the employer train people when moving them to management/supervisory roles? Of course they should, but many don't, or not until people are established in the role.
There is nothing wrong in asking for advice on the forum. If there was, the forum itself would be a little pointless.
In answer to the OP, as you have only seen this once I wouldn't say anything to the staff member, but might have a quiet chat with your own manager about how to deal with a member of staff who seems not to be settling in well. As the OP is inexperienced in the role that is not an unreasonable action.

System

Ignore. You're opening a can of worms here.

nalimcc

If you want her to stay then I wouldn't call her out directly on the cover letter thing, if at all. As already mentioned, letting staff carry out their own tasks in work is only an issue if their actual workload isn't getting done in my view.

I'd set up a meeting with her and ask her how she's settling in - gives her an opportunity to address any issues she's having without it being too awkward. If she pretends everything's fine then she may have already decided she's leaving in which case it's better to accept it and find someone who will want to be there. It's not necessarily an indicator of anything wrong within the role, it probably just doesn't suit or she's found something that just happens to be better.

nicechap

Pancakesss wrote: »

Hi,
Please can I have some advice? This lunchtime I saw a newly joined colleague (I am her line manager) writing a cover letter to apply for another role. She does not know I saw this.

What is the best approach to handle this? She is still new (here for 7 weeks) and I really feel that she hasn’t given the role a change yet. Regardless of this, I’m more concerned that she is using the work computer during work house to essentially get a new role elsewhere which is very cheeky!

many thanks

Your approach will depend on what outcome you want.

Is your goal to protect the organisation? the employee? yourself? (these don't have to be conflicting goals).

Do you want to retain the employee? Get rid of them? Use them as an example to other employees?

What policies do you have in place about doing non-work activities during working times (theft of time) or use of work resources (reasonable IT use)? What the disciplinary process?

Do you want your manager to think well of you?

I would suggest you decide on a plan of action and just run it past my line manager before acting.

[Deleted User]

Bit contradicting complaining about someone using company resources for something but work but your doing that exactly now.

If you want advice aye okay but do that when you get home.

DigForVictory

It could be the OPs lunchhour today is 1-1.30, either way, can we not offer more by way of support?

As a newly promoted manager, I think you've been dropped in it a bit by Fate & therefore asking your manger for advice is wholly reasonable!

As an MSE poster, I think it's shrewd to cover that discussion with a wider range of possible answers first.

Hoping it works out for you & the only 7 weeks in soul!

pimento

It might be that the job she's applying for is a dream job or one that she may think she doesn't have much chance of getting but wants to apply anyway.

My son took a job with a company as he was out of work and applied for better jobs right from day one.

TELLIT01

Irrespective of what the employee is doing, many places allow staff to use computers etc for their personal use during lunch and unpaid break times only. If the employee is using it at other times they are likely to be in breach of their employment contract.
The OP can absolutely legitimately claim that their use, in posing questinos here, is work related. It is!